Top 5 Takeaways from Day 3 of Buc Classic

<p>Holiday tournaments are coming to the end as 2020 is right around the corner. The Buc Classic was an eventful three day as some teams outperformed their seed line, while others were able to fight through adversity. St. Thomas Aquinas won the Buc Classic by beating Burlington Township 74-43 in the final. The Trojans' big win was not the only major takeaway from the final day of the Buc Classic as the hosts also made a statement in the third place game. Here are the top five takeaways from the last day of the Buc Classic.</p> <p><strong>1. St. Thomas Aquinas can compete with anyone in the state</strong></p> <p>Burlington Township struggled with foul trouble throughout the game, but the Falcons could simply not keep up with the Trojans. Wake Forest commit <strong>Quadry Adams</strong> started off the game with a circus and-1 layup on his way to 21 points and tournament MVP. Sophomore <strong>Jaquan Harris </strong>was also named to the all-tournament after dropping 19 points in the title game.</p> <p>Junior <strong>Jalen Jones</strong> had a breakout game as he had 14 points in the final game. <strong>Derrick Grant </strong>struggled with foul trouble, but he was still able to assert himself down low. St. Thomas Aquinas got complacent at times during the Buc Classic, but the Trojans can compete with anyone on their day.</p> <p><strong>2. Red Bank Regional could be the surprise of the Shore Conference</strong></p> <p>The Buccaneers are flying high after a huge 60-53 upset over Ranney. <strong>Drew Valentino </strong>was a force down low, despite giving up multiple inches to the Panthers' much bigger frontline. The senior forward was named to the all-tournament team after a game-high 17 points.</p> <p><strong>Kevin Ferrogine </strong>was unguardable at times off the bounce as he had a couple of easy layups. <strong>Matt Weidman </strong>knocked down four three-pointers to stretch Ranney's defense. Red Bank Regional was not supposed to upset Ranney, but this win could be the spark to a memorable 2019-20 season.</p> <p><strong>3. Daniel Boateng is a big-game player</strong></p> <p>Entering the fifth place game, Boateng had struggled establishing himself on the offensive end.The junior forward had only seven points in Woodbridge's win over Middletown North and he struggled with his shot against Burlington Township. Boateng ended his cold streak against Sayreville as he erupted for 19 points in the first-half.</p> <p>He knocked down three shots from behind the arc in the opening half after only making one in the first two games. Boateng attacked the basket hard and forced the Bombers to put him at the free throw line. He ended up with a game-high 26 points and played his best when the Barrons needed him most.</p> <p><strong>4. Monmouth Regional's ability to bounce-back</strong></p> <p>The Falcons had struggled in their first two games of the Buc Classic and were looking for something positive in the seventh place game against Middletown North. It looked like Middletown North was going to run away with it early as the Lions built an 11-point halftime lead. The Falcons' offense could not find a rhythm for most of the tournament, but they were able to complete the comeback with 39 second half points.</p> <p>Sophomore <strong>Kiran Desai </strong>carried the Falcons for stretches of the game as he led all scorers with 19 points. <strong>Jake Marcincak </strong>knocked down a pair of clutch three-pointers to extend the Falcons' lead. Monmouth Regional needed something to jumpstart its season and this comeback win could be what the Falcons need.</p> <p><strong>5. Daniel Thomas is the biggest stock riser</strong></p> <p>The Buc Classic had a couple of standout players, but no one improved their stock more than Thomas. The junior guard was almost unguardable at times as he was constantly getting to the basket. Thomas was unafraid of the competition as he averaged 20.5 points per game in the last two games of the tournament. He is the catalyst for Burlington Township this season and his stock is only going to keep going up if Thomas plays like he did at the Buc Classic.</p>